Dylan McIlrath interview

Q. Dylan, what is your first thought?
DYLAN McILRATH: Excitement. I’m just thrilled to be picked Top 10 to a great organization like the Rangers. It’s a thrill right now, and I’m just lost in emotions, I guess.
Q. Tell us about what you do for Moose Jaw?
DYLAN McILRATH: My whole on the team, I’m a big, physical “D” man. Try to be hard to play against, and strike fear in the opposition. Also my game is improving. I think I can be a two-way guy, or develop into a two-way guy in the near future.
Q. Did the Rangers talk to you in the combine, or talk about your relationship so far with the Rangers?
DYLAN McILRATH: I had a great meeting with them in the combine, so it was in my head that they were interested. But right before I went to test, one of the guys took me aside and really thought that I was a great player, and I was a great fit for them. It was kind of a nice gesture for him to do that, went out of his way to do that; and it turns out that I go to the Rangers, and I couldn’t be happier.
Q. You had three meetings yesterday. The Rangers weren’t one of those teams. You thought maybe you were going to go to one of those clubs. Were you a bit surprised that it was 10th, and it was New York?
DYLAN McILRATH: Yeah, to be honest, a little surprised. But in the back of my mind, I knew they were a team that was interested. But, other with the other four teams I was thinking it was one of them.
But you can never read too far into things like that. Teams have different ways of doing things. So, yeah, I guess so.
Q. Have you had to be invited to Canada’s World Juniors Camp, now you’re going number 10 overall. Is there a message in there at all?
DYLAN McILRATH: I don’t know. My goal is to make the team, and I hope to get a tryout in the winter and get a great start to next season and hope to prove them wrong.
Q. Have you been to New York before?
DYLAN McILRATH: I have not been to New York, so it will be exciting.
Q. Who were the other teams?
DYLAN McILRATH: Dallas, Anaheim, Vancouver, and Florida. So all of those teams.
Q. As a player, who do you pattern yourself after?
DYLAN McILRATH: I try to mold my game around Shea Weber type. I know in junior he was more my style of play. We had similar points and similar stats. So he was more of a shut down guy and then he developed offensively later. That’s what I’m trying to do here.

The first time McIlraith pops Carcillo all you nay-sayers will change your minds. Also, Girl-ardi won’t be able to sit by idly when our best player gets pounded by a goon, knowing that his job will be taken by a team oriented tough as nails d-man.

I am absolutely stunned they decided to do this with players like Fowler, Gormley and Tarasenko still on the board. You could have picked a physical D-Man in the second round. Instead you spend a 10th pick on one. I’M IN TOTAL SHOCK. WHAT ARE THEY DOING??!?!

The reason the Rangers spend so much time in their defensive zone is because they have no offensive strength at all. Does anyone remember when Jagr’s lines would actually control the puck in the offensive zone for entire shifts? How many times did the Rangers dominate in the offensive zone this past season? Very rarely. Gaborik is a sniper, and he has no help. So now 3 years down the road we have a potential 7th defenseman for the Philly games. Big whoop.

By the way, saw an interview with this kid online and read his comments on being a Ranger,and I think he seems like a very nice kid. He is just not the tenth best player in this draft. This pick will go down as yet another crappy number one pick.

It doesn’t matter if Carcillo and Hank are gone by the time this kid makes it to the NHL. There’ll always be somebody else’s butt to kick and he’ll have to protect our goalie whether it’s Hank or somebody else.

Long time no post. I read regularly during the season, but didn’t have the motivation to jump in the fray. Anyway,

Gift of GABorik-

The Lundqvist thing didn’t happen exactly as you summed it up. True, he was drafted late in the 7th round. For the next three years he pretty much dominated the SEL and was labeled the best player outside of the NHL. He came into camp with a lot of hype and was considered the goalie of the future. So he didn’t really come into camp as a complete surprise. Then you are absolutely correct- Weekes got hurt and the King took the throne.

As for this kid, he is a high-risk/high-reward player whose style is not echoed by anyone else in the organization. As for asset management, not sure this was the best thing to do with #10, but I’m not privy to what was on the table as far as trades go. It’s easy to say we should have traded down, but only the guys around the table know if that was really an option. They obviously thought the kid was going to be taken in the next few picks and they didn’t want to lose him. Clarke has earned my trust for now. Time will tell.

czech
after the first 3 picks, it was a crap shoot to me and teams go for need. From 15to 10, not a big jump (hell mckenzie even said that). If he was ranked 60th and we took him at 10, big problem. He fills an organizational need, period. A bigger need than fowler or gormley would have filled.

sadly, I was covering the team when Espo signed Mark Tinordi as an undrafted free agent, and then when he traded him to the North Stars with Brett Barnett and Paul Jerrard and a pick that turned out to be nobody, for Rick Bennett, Brian Lawton and Igor Liba.

Lawton was Higgins, Liba was Lisin, and Bennett — so highly regarded — was Hugh Jessiman.

Jeez, does there have to be a suit parade by every team that’s picking? And since they know when their pick is coming up, can’t they at least think ahead and put on their suit coats, straighten their ties, and blow their noses ahead of time?

Fun to be back on RR again. Working 2 jobs keeps me away from the puter. And last season was REALLY SO BITTER that I’m still pissed for getting suckered back when they were OUT OF IT in February. Looking forward to see what has-been gets Dolan’s (Cablevision customer’s) millions next.

As per TSN James Duthie, Apparently the Oilers were in a position to trade for the 15TH overall pick, contingent on Dylan McIlrath being available at the spot. Rangers took McIlrath at #10 so the deal fell through.

Scouting report: Fearsome fighter and shutdown ‘D’ is a big open-ice hitter and the absolute toughest player in the draft, but a lot of scouts say he has an interesting upside, too.

Strengths: Big, wide body with room for another 20-30 pounds when he’s at his physical peak. Very good upper body strength; uses it to staple wingers along the boards or to stand in and give/absorb punches while fighting. Biggest wingspan of any player in the 2010 draft class with an 83-inch reach; allows him to effectively employ a pokecheck on defense, and also comes in very handy when fighting; he ragdolls opponents and keeps them at arm’s length while pounding them. Straight-line speed is above average; can get up the ice well once he gets going. A feared open-ice hitter; reads the play well and anticipates where an opponent will be, then lowers the boom. Very good defensive sense- understands his positioning and clears the crease with abandon. Loves the physical aspect of hockey; wants to go out and punish opponents, yet doesn’t run around the ice out of control…exhibits measured aggression. Possesses a cannon for a point shot; takes a while on the windup, but the drive is low, heavy and deflectable. After veteran Travis Hamonic was traded to Brandon, was given a bigger role on offense and embraced it, finishing the season with 24 points after having almost zero production before Christmas. Relishes the fighting element of his game– welcomes any challenger and ended up pounding enough guys early in the season that word got out and he had a relatively quiet second half. Some say he’s the most effective and feared fighter to come out of the WHL since Scott Parker in the late-90’s. Can throw with both hands; punches hard and can take down an opponent with one solid connection. Creates space for his defense partner; makes opponents think twice when he’s on the ice– players keep their heads on a swivel and account for ‘Big Mac’ at all times. Very good character and work ethic; highly respected in the dressing room– a leader. Nasty disposition on the ice, calm and laid-back off it.

Weaknesses: First-step quickness is lacking; needs work on his lateral movement and change of direction. Stiff in the hips; not as fluid when pivoting/transitioning. Doesn’t seem to see the ice very well and may lack the proper instincts to be a top-pairing ‘D’ and power play guy at the next level. Only starting to hone his first pass skills and realizing that he needs to be more effective on the breakout. Defensive positioning and decision-making still need work; can get a little scrambly, and when he does, his flaws are exposed for all to see.

Style compares to: If he continues to develop, Shea Weber or Dion Phaneuf. If he stays where he is/flatlines, Adam Foote with a little Matt Carkner thrown in for good measure.

Projection: Solid No. 4 at the very least, and could develop into a No. 2 if his offensive game picks up more. But what McIlrath will give a team goes well beyond the numbers and measurables because he’s a player who can alter the tempo and flow of a game with one big shift. Like Milan Lucic, he can make a thundering hit, blast someone in a fight and conceivably score a goal or set one up all in the span of a minute or so, which is rare for any player. McIlrath made a significant leap in his development, production and toughness from his first WHL season to second, and some talent evaluators think he has the potential to keep his upward development curve going and that the best is yet to come. For all the knocks on his “lack” of offense, he scored as many points as Pysyk (albeit in fewer games, but didn’t really get the chance to play that role until after Christmas) and got more points than Derek Forbort, who gets hailed almost universally for his great upside but really didn’t generate a ton of offense when you get down to it. I really think this guy has been sold short by fans who haven’t really seen him or know a lot about him beyond his defensive acumen and toughness, but who have decided that he’s another Mark Stuart. Maybe so, but if he’s more than that (and you have to admit– the numbers from 08-09 to 09-10 are saying something) then people will be kicking themselves for years because he has it in him to be a momentum-changer for his team.

Quotes:

“An old school defensemen who plays hard and very physical. A great deal of untapped potential that can be used in shut down situations as well as on the offensive side of the puck.” – Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak to NHL.com

“Offensive ability is not yet there, but many are selling his upside short. Shows flashes of jumping into the offense smartly and ability to shoot the puck. Feet are just a little bit slow. But his stride got longer this season and he does have some decent straight line speed that helps him recover if he get surprised by a speedy forward. (But yes, if a scout writes “good recovery speed” down as a note, that is not really a positive thing.) Underrated first pass ability – just keeps it simple and gets it out of trouble with reliability. That’s all he’ll need to be an effective NHLer.”- Red Line Report’s Mike Remmerde in his NHL Draft Notes blog; June, 2010

“I saw him throw three or four thundering hits (in the open ice), but he fought only once. It was almost as if he would make the hit and look around for the inevitable challenge, but nobody wanted to fight him. It was pretty obvious that he had established a reputation and there weren’t too many guys who wanted to tangle with him at that point.”- NHL scout to New England Hockey Journal; June, 2010

Quote:
“It’s scary to see how far he’s come from where he was at in August in 2008 to the middle of February,” Moose Jaw coach Dave Hunchak told NHL.com. “The improvement on him is one of the biggest improvements I’ve seen in a single player ever.”

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound defenseman had 7 goals, 24 points and a plus-20 rating in 65 games, and his 169 penalty minutes were seventh in the WHL.

Those numbers aren’t bad for someone who really didn’t put his full effort into the game until two seasons ago.

“He didn’t play midget hockey at 15. The next year he’s playing in the Western Hockey League,” said Hunchak. That’s the equivalent of a football player jumping to Division I without playing in high school. “To make that step and come the distance he’s come, I really can’t tell you what the ceiling is for him.”

Now, Hunchak sees nothing but good things, with even more to come. Next is continuing to add an offensive element to his game. McIlrath finished second in the hardest shot contest at January’s CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, launching a 91.8 mph rocket.

“I feel he’s very similar to (Islanders prospect) Travis Hamonic,” said Hunchak. “When we had Travis at 17, he was drafted as a simple, stay-at-home defenseman. At 19 he was still that guy, but he led our league in scoring as a defenseman. He didn’t sacrifice the defensive play; he added the other element by doing things at the right time. Dylan, once he figures out what his foundation is as a player, with regards to being hard and a physical player to play against, he can add that (offense) going forward. It’s just a matter of you’re 17 years old, you’re 6-5 and 215 pounds, with size 14 feet and a high-pace game. It’s going to take some time.”

There’s no reason to doubt McIlrath will bring that offensive element into his game. Considering how far he’s already come in such a short time, there’s no reason to doubt him.

“What I like about Dylan is how raw he is,” said Hunchak. “I don’t know what his max potential is going to be if he continues on the pace he’s on.”

Some of these comments made are embarrasing. He’s a damn good prospect.

Reason we did not trade down was that the Oilers were pursuing him as well and shopping for another 1st round pick..that pick would have been McIlrath,,,again..kudos to Gordie Clark. McIlrath and Del Zotto tandam will have many a fans rising from their seats with Staal, Girardi, Mcdonough and Sanguenetti or Sauer…Pretty formidable Defense..Sather get them signed..

I would say Tomorrow we go after McFarland…trade up and grab him..that is a pretty good draft right there if we can nab him

James G
this was posted a couple of threads ago. apparently this guy read every one of wickys posts

June 25th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Wow this place never changes. for a year on here I’ve been hearing “we need a hard hitting Dman. no more softies” now they draft the guy deemed the toughest SOB in the ENTIRE draft and yall are whining that they didn’t take a guy that’s dropping drastically despite his skill because HES SO FREAKIN SOFT! Gormley may have been a better choice but we just got the toughest Dman we’ve had in NY since the Beuk and Ulfie days.

I’d be fine with the pick if he’ll be #4 D ready by the 2011-2012 season, but he probably won’t be on the roster until Hank’s last contract year.. and by then he’ll be concussed from all the running and his knee will be worse.

Didn’t that McIlrath kid got the award for the most improved player two years in a row now? He’s development is progressing pretty good i’d say… maybe in 2012 we’ll see him guarding Hank full time! Plus, people dont just name you the “Undertaker” for nothing…kid looks like a stud!

Funny thing I just heard on ESPN, and have read from fans all over the internet recently…

“America has been gettin’ cheated. Is that a product of everyone hating us, our culture?”

Ive watched the USA games, like seeing them succeed, but have no vested interest in whether they advance or not. Honestly, Id rather the African team Ghana advance over USA. But USA has been cheated, and has been cheated because Americans – or Yankees as they are known as abroad – are hated for their lifestyle and culture.

Sounds like a conspiracy. Sounds awful familiar. When a team or a country is hated, it’s not above officials to screw them. Never has been, never will be.

>>“America has been gettin’ cheated. Is that a product of everyone hating us, our culture?”

The only problem here is the fact that these whiners haven’t seen enough football matches to fully grasp the rules and idiosyncrasies of the game. Most of these geniuses don’t even know when a play is offside.

You supposed clown fans just absolutely crack me up! Y’all cry about our lack of toughness and specifically on the back end. So we go and make a move to get a guy in our Organ-Eye-Zation that is needed desperately and you are all mostly crying. Fowler and Gormley fell for a reason! Rangers were not only team that passed on them. Remember, Gordie Clark does stipulate that we need guys with character as well. This guy oozes character! You see that preppie wimp Fowler sitting their making sarcasatic faces? What does that tell you? Gormley and Fowler are similar to Del Zotto, Gilroy, Redden (yikes!), and Staal somewhat.

This is a great, great move by the “new regime” Ranger management. Clark and Gorton has so much more to say…and yes Messier and Gravy are heavily involved as well.

And the buffoons on this blog that said we should take a Ruuskie….the great Carp should take away your rights to post on here for two years.

And oh yeah, not sure how old some of you are….but maybe you were at MSG back in the good ‘ol days when we all went crazy for Jessiman pick. Flyers wanted him, many teams wanted him….he was the big forward that we needed at the time. Shatters his ankle at Dartmouth and is never the same. It happens folks! See Dan Blackburn, Stefan Cherneski, and unfortunately THAT Russian that we did pick in the first round- Cherapanov! So don’t criticize this pick so much. Other teams passed on Pa-reeee-zay filthy Richards etc. Not an exact science.

Now lets go out today and draft forwards Ross and/or Smith to continue adding to the “sandpaper” needed to compete!!!

Wow,thank you for writing such an informative post. I have been following your blog for a while now and enjoy the quality of your posts. It makes me want to start blogging myself. Do you have any tips for someone fairly new to the blogging world?